IT may not surprise many that, surprisingly often, cases pop into my inbox about one tradesman or another that has either quoted and been paid for a job that they have failed to complete, or that they have completed some work that is so shoddy that the constituent would rather have not had it done in the first place.

And this is not just a local issue.

More than one in four UK adults who carried out home improvements work in the past 18 months experienced problems. More than one in three of these faced extra costs, losing an average of £750.

In 2024, people lost over £10.3-billion on home and garden maintenance costs due to losses, overpriced costs or unfair practices. This Labour Government is cracking down on such rogue operators, including cowboy tradesmen as well as aggressive bailiffs, delivering new measures that give working families more security when renovating their home and restoring fairness and respect to enforcement operations.

The government has announced a new Furniture and Home Improvement Ombudsman (FHIO) Trading Standards-approved code to help residents identify and hire traders with confidence, with a new trusted place that money can be held until key milestones are completed. Responding to concerns raised on behalf of residents by many MPs across the country, the government is now taking steps to restore the confidence and trust that families deserve. Reputable businesses will also receive a boost under this new announcement, preventing them being undercut by rogue operators and giving backing to those doing the right thing.

This announcement comes alongside a new mandatory Enforcement Conduct Board oversight and accreditation of bailiffs, to prevent aggressive behaviour and ensure those who fall behind on a bill are treated fairly and with respect. Through these measures Labour is raising standards across the board and calling time on those behaving badly. This new action forms part of this government’s series of ‘everyday fixes’ to give families room to breathe, ease the cost of living and make Britain fairer.

So, from September, a new government-supported scheme will help people identify and hire trusted traders with confidence and keep their money safe while work is ongoing. Businesses who sign up to the Approved Code will be able to demonstrate that they meet higher standards of customer service, transparency and dispute resolution. From January next year, the scheme will also include a new system to protect people’s money during building projects with payments directly linked to key project milestones.

The government is also toughening up regulation to better protect people facing debt through increased oversight of the enforcement industry. Private bailiffs will be held to consistent professional standards and people facing enforcement action will have access to an independent complaints process. Longer term plans include an overhaul of the wider consumer protection landscape.

This will examine how organisations like Citizens Advice and Trading Standards work with regulators, enforcement bodies and redress schemes to make the system faster, easier to access, and better at spotting and tackling harm early.